Artificial limb.



H. A. DUTY.

ARTIFICIAL LIME.

APPLICATION man MAY22,1914.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

fnljevzzor" ZZZ 726.5156@ 'Maw 55m THE NORRIS PETERS C., FHOTO-LITHO..WSHINGTUN. D C.

HUBERT A. kIDO'JIY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 19157.

Application filed May 22, 1914. Serial N o. 840,375.

T0 all whom t may concern: v

Be it known that I, HUBERT A. DoTY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented new and useful Improvements in Artificial Limbs, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in artificial limbs and has forits object to provide a limb having two sections pivotally connectedtogether, one of said sections constituting a stump socket which isarranged to slide on metallic guides, said stump socket being yieldinglysupported by springs arranged in and protected by metallic casings.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of partswhereby the above objects and certain other objects hereinafterappearing may be attained, as set forth inthe following specilicationand particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion ofan artificial Vlimb embodying my invention, parts of said limb beingbroken away to save space in the drawings and to more clearly illustratethe same. Fig. 2 is a section, partly in elevation, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line v3 3 ofFig. 1, parts of the socket being broken away to save space in thedrawings.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of thedrawings.

In the drawings, 5 is the lower or shank member and 6 the upper memberor corset which is pivotally connected to the member 5 by hinge members7 and 8 arranged upon opposite sides of said upper and lower members.Each of the hinge members 7 and 8 is formed in two parts 9 and 10, thepart 9 of said members being secured preferably by rivets 11 to thelower or shank member 5, while the member 10 is detachably arranged inleather sockets 12 stitched to opposite sides of the corset 6.

.The members 9 and 10 are pivotally connected together at a pointsubstantially coinciding with the axis of the knee joint of the wearer.

The most important feature of the invention resides in the supportingguiding means for the stump socket 327 said stump socket being of thewell known slip socket type, the same being arranged to slide verticallyin the upper end of the shank member k5 and having the usual rubbercushion 33 at the bottom thereof which is arranged to engage the upperedge of the member 5 when said socket is depressed to its full extent.

A metallic band 34 is secured to the upper edge of the member 5surrounding the gap which is normally maintained between the cushion33and the upper edge of said member 5. The stump socket 32 is arrangedintermediate the parts 9 of the hinge members 7 and 8, said parts 9extending for a substantial distance above the shank portion 5 to whichthey are secured, as hereinbefore stated, by rivets 11.

To aiford a more rigid support for the hinge members, the parts 9 areprovided with projections or lugs 35 which extend laterally fromopposite sides of said members and engage said member 5 adjacent theupper end thereof. From the lugs 35 upwardly substantially to the jointor pivoted point for said hinge members, said members 9 aresubstantially straight. Said straight portions are arranged toreciprocate in guide plates 3G preferably formed of aluminum and havinggrooves 36 eX- tending longitudinally thereof and provided with linings37 of relatively softer material preferably leather, said guide platesbeing secured to the socket 32 preferably by screws 38.

The supporting means hereinbefore referred to preferably consist ofsprings 39 interposed between the socket 32 and the member 5, butdirectly engaging the guide plates 36 and means supported upon themember 9, said means preferably consisting of pins 40, one of whichjissecured to each of the members 9 on lugs 41 projecting inwardly fromsaid members. The upper ends 42 of the pins are substantially smaller indiameter than are the lower portions thereof, thus providing shoulders43 against which the lower ends of the springs 39 rest.

A spring tube 44 surrounds each of the springs 39, saidtube being closedat its upper end, while its lower end is adapted to engage the largerportion of the pin 40 and to slide longitudinally thereof, said tubebeing arranged in grooves 45 and 46 formed in the members 9 and 36respectively.

The upper ends of the tubes 44 are preferably rounded and adapted to tcorrespondingly shaped depressions 47 formed in the guide plates 36,said depressions serving YVsure of the stump therein,

to prevent` displacement ofthe tubes. .i vItv will be evident by thisconstruction that` the Y spi-ings 39, which are arranged at'oppo'sit'esides of the socket 32, will at all timesbe entirely inclosed respectivespring I o'r foreign substances'from collecting therein.

Heretofore the stump socketsadapted to) it artificial limbs of thenature hereinbefore described have been provided with guides constructedof wood -andf coveredwith leather which engage the hinge members tocontrol the 'vertical movements vfof, lsaid sockets.k This has led `to agreat deal of annoyance tothe wearer of the limb `owing -to theexpansionlof the socket, due tothepressaid expansion causing thesepai'ation'of the guides which,V as hereinbefore stated, 'control -thevertical reciprocations -of said stump socket, thus causing the same torattle against the hinge members. i This annoyancev has 'beenvovercome'in Vthe present -case byjproviding the metal guide plates 36which extend substantially Varoundthe membersl 9 and lining the recesseswithin which said members f aref 'While l 'have' herein shown anddescribed one specific embodiment ofmy'invention for illustrativepurposes, and vhave disclosed and .discussed `in detail theconstructionand aryrangement incidental to'one specific applicationthereof, it is to be L"understood that the `invention is limited neithertothe mere details or relative arrangement' of parts, nor to itsspecific application hereinshown, but that' extensive deviations fromthe illustra-ted formor embodiment of theinvention may be. 'm'adewithout departing fromthev principles thereof.

Having thus described my'invent'ion whaty I claim andfdesire' -byLetters ilateiit to lsecureisih: '1. akn artificialflimb having,incmbination;` i via'n upper member, a lower frmember,

hinge pmembers 'connect'ingsaid upper and lower membersat oppositesi'des, a stumpv socket "z'iz'rrangedv to' slide in said' lower mem#metall guidesv on said socketiadaptedt'o'engage said ber'iiitermeclr'atesaid hinge members,

hinge 'i'heinber's to'g'uide saidf'soc'ket during its sliding1vmovements in said lowe'rme'm ber, aguide Ppin'on' eachof said hingemem'- bers,

and a spring tube surrounding each Vof said springs and having'engageinentgwith tli'eadjacent metal guide.

g2.- iin, aiutami-iimiiaiming,ai@tarifaireand guided withinv their Ytubes, thus prevent-ing dirti a springencircling'leach of said pins,-

tion, a lower member, a pair of hinge members secured at opposite sidesof said lower 'me`m"ber, a"sti`1mn""socket arranged to slide v:betweensaid hinge ymembers,

plates "secured to said stump socket, said metal guide guide plateshaving grooves adapted to .re-V ceiv'esaidhinge members, andspringsarranged* between'said guide plates and said hinge member andconcealed thereby, said springs adapted `-to-yieldingly support said 1stump socket relatively to said lower inember.

an Mancini iimb i having, Vin .eombil nation, a lower member, a-pair'o'f :hinge l members secured lat loppositel sidesl iof said lowermember, a stump y:socket arranged to slideV betweenvsaid hinge members,metal guide plates secured to saidl stump socket, Y

saidrguidefplateshaving grooves adapted to f r receive said hingemembers, and va vlining -for saidvgrooves 'adaptedvto deadenthe soundproduced by the`-inovements of 'said socketY rel'ativelyto saidlower"member. f

'4.' AnV artificial li 'bhaving, in combina# tion, a lower member,a pairof -hi-ngememr 'bers lsecuredto' said lowerlmember, a stump isocket,arranged-to-slide relatively `to said lower member-andintermediate said hin-ge members', guide plates `secured to said stumpsocket, 1 said plates ,having grooves; adapted to receive isaidhingememberaa' kpinarranged'longitudinally of each of said hinge members, 'aspring adapted to encircle Ieach Y of said pins,- a tube inclosing;eachi'cfsaid Y springs and having sliding engagement with saidfpin,fand' projections on Vsaidgplates adapted to engagethe ends of saidtubes.

:15; An artificial limbgl'iaving,in combinations, a lowermember, a'vpair of hinge mem?Y bers Asecured tol 'said lower member, a stump AsocketA arranged'toslide relatively f to lsaid lowerVmember* andintermediate said hinge 100 members, -guide plates' secured to `saidstump socket, said'plates havingv grooves adapted to receive said hingemembers, the 'adjacent facesl of eachA ofvsaid plates/and" their 'ad-Yjacentl hinge' members "being oppositely 105 Vgrooved, anda springinterposed in each of said ygrooves,between saidlplate'and saidyhinge'member respectively.

e-nf testimony whereof I `havehl-."reunto" set my 'hand in 'presence oftwo sub'scribing-wit- 110 nesses.v p .n y Y, Y

" y A'riUBiiiii A. DofrY.

lVitnesses: Y Y Y i CHARLES IS.,"Groo`nii\1rof,

f v Y SYDNEY E. Terr,

leach, byiad'dress'ngr .the Commissionererrements,

'Washngtomn CJP

